Lonesomers

Mare Winningham

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 30, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B000007SNT
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192,064 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In the film Georgia, actress Mare Winningham used her chirping soprano to pull off playing a singer/songwriter, but she's not quite as convincing on Lonesomers. The problems are Winningham's voice--technically responsive but not especially expressive--and her lyrics. She writes in precious, quasi-poetic or worse, amateur psychobabble: "The things that were said to you / Resonate more than you want to acknowledge / 'Cause ow, it smarts whenever you're scorched." Bright spots include the title track, which combines dulcimer and her band's simple acoustic bounce, as well as the Joni Mitchellesque solo closing number. There's a likable folk-pop quality here--á la Shawn Colvin or Dar Williams--but not much more. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent CD! (And her first release was even better!), September 1, 2000

By	Timothy Capehart "Review-a-holic" (Dayton, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Mare's voice is beautiful, and her music and lyrics are at once catchy and poetic...heart-felt and giddy. I truely love this CD! However (those of you who already love this CD get your pens ready) her first release "What Might Be" which is now out of print is even better. I have an analog tape of it and I have honestly played it so much that it is near death. It is some of the best music I own. I bought it on a lark & have only regretted that I didn't buy it on CD (it was only released on tape except to radio stations--heresay here--and the used record store down the way HAD a CD of it which I took a pass on until too late!) I bought the soundtrack of Georgia for the one new song on it...the movie was written for Mare and Jennifer Jason Leigh by Leigh's mom. And that wonderful song Jennifer's character butchers is from that first Mare release! If you see it snap it up!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 STARS IS NOT ENOUGH!, May 17, 2003

By	Lorne Grotkowski (Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This CD is definitely in my top ten picks in several categories - Best Album, Best Single, Best Female recording....

I bought this album close to 4 years ago - without being familiar with Ms. Winningham's talent as a singer/songwriter. I was only familiar with her as an actress - primarily form "St. Elmo's Fire".

I brought the album home and before I had listened to half of it, I was phoning local record shops in hopes of ordering other offerings from Mare. But alas, I was too late. Still I cherish this album "Lonesomers".

Mare's vocal abilities stretch across a wide chasm of talent, from plaintiff (Silver Bullets) to playful (Wake Up).

Her writing ability is simple and yet somehow complex at the same time.

By far the outstanding track on this CD is "This Tower". I defy anyone not to be able to relate to this song. And once you've really listened to it, it is infectious. You'll find yourself humming or singing it for days. It is one of those songs that will be stuck in your head for days (In a delightful way)!

Do not miss the chance of adding this "too well hidden gem" to your CD collection today!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite CDs!, October 21, 1999

By	Gail Gurman ([e-mail]) (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

I waited a long time for Mare to release a CD. Back in 1992 she released a very hard-to-find tape (yes, I've got a copy!) called "What Might Be". It's not nearly as good as "Lonesomers," but I'd still like to see it come out on CD, if only for the song "If I Wanted."

In any case, Lonesomers is chock full of wonderfully clever songs! Get it! And then, see her live. It's difficult, but she lives in the SF Bay Area, and she performs sometimes at Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. I first heard her on the radio show, "West Coast Live!" and I was entranced!